Discoveries in medical science have long indicated that certain diseases are passed through unintended contact with contaminated needles. Specifically, blood to blood contact, or internal fluid to internal fluid contact, can spread diseases and pathogens which otherwise cannot be transmitted. To avoid such unintended transmission of pathogens by contaminated needles, particularly for medical professionals, several proposals have been advanced.
The most recent of these proposals has to do with widely available needle, syringe, and needle cap combinations. Specifically, certain governmental agencies are in the process of promulgating guidelines which outline several procedural methods of dealing with the inadvertent spread of infection through contaminated needles. While these procedural suggestions are useful, if they are unobserved, or a participant unavoidably fouls a needle against their person, the disease is none-the-less transmitted.
To address human fallibility with respect to following procedures, several needle guard type apparatuses have been suggested. Specifically, guards which telescopically cover the syringe barrel and needle portion have been proposed. These guards may optionally include latching mechanisms at either end of the guard so as to hold the guard in a particular position with respect to the needle and syringe combination. Further, many of the guards are also proposed as permanent disposal devices for the needle so that if medical waste is improperly disposed of, the risk of a contaminated needle subsequently fouling an individual's person is reduced.
Examples of such prior art guard apparatus can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,731,059, 4,643,199, 4,425,120, 4,770,655, 4,710,170, 4,728,320, 4,702,738, 4,801,295, and 4,634,428. While these prior art devices provide guards for covering or shielding a needle and syringe combination, they are cumbersome and complex and are therefore not in widespread use.